


February 2018

by babybrotherdean



Series: 365 challenge: 2018 [2]
Category: Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Hockey, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dogs, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Porn with Feelings, Season/Series 13 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-13 17:19:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 14,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13575297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babybrotherdean/pseuds/babybrotherdean
Summary: Collection of 365 challenge ficlets for the month of February.





	1. Thirty-Two: Fifth Base

**Author's Note:**

> A few days late to get these up, but here we go. 
> 
> First one is from 13.12, so spoiler alert if you haven't watched that yet.

“It’s got to be some kind of… witchy bullshit.”

Dean’s mumbling to himself, hunched over his laptop in the war room while he scours the internet. He can hear Sam shuffling around a couple rooms over, but it’s not his main focus as he keeps trying different search terms, different websites, even different languages. The continued lack of results is frustrating, and he lets out a huff of breath.

“There’s no such thing as fifth base.” He scrunches up his nose and stares at the screen a little harder, as if an explanation will manifest itself if he concentrates hard enough. “There’s no such fucking thing.”

As he keeps looking- the internet knows everything; it has to be here  _somewhere_ \- he can hear Sam coming closer, and then the scrape of the chair against the floor as he sits down. “What’re you looking for?”

“Have you ever heard of fifth base?” Dean demands, finally looking up from the screen to turn an imploring gaze on his brother. “You went to college. They do all kinds of weird shit there, right?”

Sam stares back at him for a few seconds. “Can’t say that I have, no.”

Dean makes another frustrated sound and turns back to the laptop. “Then what the hell was she talking about?”

Dean can feel Sam’s eyes on him, still, though it doesn’t deter his efforts. “Have you considered that she might’ve been messing with you? I mean… it’s Rowena.”

Dean  _has_ considered that, as a matter of fact, but he’s too damn curious to give up the search. There’s got to be  _something_. “I’ve lived my whole life thinking there were only- what, three bases? Four, if you’re lucky? If there’s a fifth base out there, then you bet your ass I’m gonna find it.”

And. Okay, maybe he’s just a little bit sour about being called “sheltered.”  _Maybe_.

Sam sighs, but the touch of amusement is a little comforting. “Yeah, alright. Good luck with that.”

Dean grunts and gets back to work, and Sam stays where he is, half-watching. Dean’s determined to find out exactly what kind of next-level action he’s been missing out on, and if it means he has to scrub the entire internet from top to bottom…

Well. He was due for a break, anyways.


	2. Thirty-Three: Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It can be a pain sometimes, trying to organize quiet nights like this amidst their busy schedules, but they’ve finally put aside a few hours to relax, and Jensen intends to enjoy every second of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy J2 movie night thing.

Once the lights are turned off, leaving only the bluish glow of the TV screen to illuminate the room, they’re finally ready to go. It can be a pain sometimes, trying to organize quiet nights like this amidst their busy schedules, but they’ve finally put aside a few hours to relax, and Jensen intends to enjoy every second of it.

Jared plops down beside him after doing a final check that they’ve got everything they need- snacks on the table, pillows and blankets on the couch, and a remote with full batteries in hand- and Jensen settles right against him, happy for the arm that tucks him in closer. Jared’s soft and warm in his pyjamas, smelling mostly of fresh laundry and clean skin. “All ready?”

Jared hums, and he’s already queueing up the first movie in a little marathon they’ve selected, opening credits starting to roll. It’s the kind of fringe that only shows up at film festivals, and they’ve been meaning to get to it for ages. “Yeah. Phone’s on silent, no more work emails for the day. We could probably sit here for a week without needing to get up.”

Eyeing the array of food they’ve got lined up in front of them- everything from popcorn and licorice to a plate of fully-loaded nachos- Jensen is inclined to agree. “Good. It’s been too long.”

Jared grabs the bowl of popcorn off the table so they can start working at it, and though Jensen’s eyes are on the screen, half his attention is on the sound of Jared’s heartbeat when he rests his cheek against the other man’s shoulder. For the first time in what feels like forever, he can feel himself starting to relax and unwind from all the pressures of the work they do, and it’s nice. Really, really nice.

They’ve barely started, but he comments, anyways, turning his head so the words are mumbled against Jared’s jaw. “We should do this more often.”

“Yeah.” Jared pulls him a little closer, and Jensen’s happy for it, thankful for every inch of space that doesn’t exist between them. “Absolutely.”

They drift off like that, hours later, curled together on the couch with empty plates on the table and a looping menu screen in front of them. Even though Jensen might wake up with a crick in his neck, and Jared’ll be grumbling about back pain over morning coffee, neither of them will be able to say that the time together wasn’t worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Thirty-Four: Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is that my sweater?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J2 sharing clothes is the worst. Terrible. Awful. Who do they think they are.

“Is that my sweater?”

Jared doesn’t notice right away, because it’s a sleepy sort of day where the snow is piled high outside and he doesn’t have much motivation to do anything. Luckily, Jensen seems to be in much the same sort of mood, which leads to the two of them being perfectly content with wasting away the hours in bed together instead of trying to be productive. It’s only now that they’ve gotten up to get themselves some dinner- food, unfortunately, has not found its way to them of its own accord- that he finds himself blinking a few times at the clothes Jensen’s thrown on to stave off the chilly air in the house.

“Hm?” Jensen, evidently, would still rather be in bed. They’ve made it to the kitchen, and are working together to throw together some simple chicken and potatoes to bring back to the room with them. When Jensen looks down at himself- the sweater hangs a little long on him, and the sleeves are definitely trying to sneak up over his hands while he cooks- he seems to give it some thought before speaking. “Maybe. Why?”

Jared considers that for a short moment, and then shrugs. “Just curious.” They don’t even really bother to keep separate closets anymore, for the most part. Besides Jared’s extra length, they can usually get away with sharing most things, so long as they keep the items that belong to Sam and Dean somewhat separated. The costume department make sure to remind them of that frequently. “Looks nice on you.”

“You think everything looks nice on me,” Jensen replies easily, but he’s smiling, and Jared laughs. “D'you want it back?”

“Then you’d be cold and I’d be the worst husband ever.” Jared shakes his head, pausing in his efforts towards mashing the potatoes. “And everything does look nice on you. That’s just science.”

Jensen hums, and doesn’t seem terribly surprised when Jared abandons him job in favour of giving Jensen a kiss on the cheek. “If you say so. Sap.”

Jared grins and presses another few kisses to Jensen’s jawline, just because. “You’re the one wearing my clothes. That’s pretty sappy, y'know.”

That earns him a playful shove without any real force behind it, and he laughs before just wrapping Jensen up in his arms and holding him tight for a moment. “Love you. Even if you do steal my clothes all the time.”

Jensen huffs out a laugh, but leans back into the embrace, warm and soft in Jared’s arms. “Yeah, yeah. Love you, too.”

Jared nuzzles a little closer and can’t quite wipe the smile off his face. Sharing a closet isn’t all that bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3!


	4. Thirty-Five: Negative Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He still isn’t used to this feeling, and suspects that he never will be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some Dean angst, basically. Stanford era, maybe.

The room is quiet, but for the distant sound of late-night traffic on the highway and the low buzz coming from the furnace. It’s dark, too, the moon neatly tucked away by thick swaths of cloud cover, and only a few long strips of artificial light filtering in from the street lamps outside. With the TV turned off for the night and the world shutting down to get some rest, there’s something so inherently lonely about the scene that Dean can’t help but feel suffocated by it.

He still isn’t used to this feeling, and suspects that he never will be. The room ought to feel bigger, with only one bed to take up space, but it’s that extra space that makes it so much harder to breathe, like the oxygen around him is being tugged away to the furthest, most deeply-shadowed corners. Every sound is too loud, and works to highlight the oppressive silence that sits heavy on his shoulders, making every part of his being want to scream and cry and shatter it to bits.

Dean doesn’t do any of that, though. Dean does what he’s always supposed to do at this time of night: he double-checks the salt lines, brushes his teeth, and crawls into bed, pretending that the sound of his own breathing isn’t driving him insane. Closing his eyes just makes it worse; this is a million miles away from the soundscape he grew up with, composed of snoring and shuffling and sleepy mumbles from the two people in the world who matter most to him.

Neither of those people are here, though. Neither of those people needs Dean as much as he so, so desperately needs them, and maybe that’s what drove them both to leave in the first place.

None of that matters now. Dean forces those thoughts to the back of his head, just like he always does, pressing hard into the pillow and trying to drown out the negative space all around him.

Maybe one of these days, it will actually work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	5. Thirty-Six: Scrapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hold on, buddy. I got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean is tiny and hurt and John is sad. A sad dad.

“Hold on, buddy. I got you.”

Dean feels so small in John’s arms, light as a feather and curled up tight in search of comfort. His knees are all bloodied up, scraped raw against rough asphalt, and his breathing is shaky as he fights off tears. It was just an accident, a little play that got too rambunctious and ended in him hitting the ground too hard, but there’s guilt clear in his expression and all John can think about is how he’s still just a little boy.

“M’sorry,” Dean mumbles, and he rubs his hands into his eyes, and John’s heart twists in his chest. “I wasn’t careful.”

John just sighs and pulls Dean a little closer, looking for the words that will make this better.  _What would Mary have said?_  “You didn’t do anything bad, Dean. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Dean doesn’t look like he believes that, so John ducks down and presses a kiss to his forehead, the way he used to before all this happened. Before he started pulling away. “I’ll get you all cleaned up when we get back, and then you’ll be all better, right? Just gotta get you some bandaids.”

For another moment, Dean stays quiet, looking like he wants to disappear, but then all at once, he turns to press his face into John’s shoulder, little fingers curling into John’s shirt. “Kay,” he whispers, and then “love you,” and a lump grows in John’s throat.

He cradles Dean close to his chest and takes a deep breath, holding Dean like he’s made of spun glass. Like he’s terrified of something breaking him. “I love you, too, kiddo.”

John doesn’t think he would survive something like that. He doesn’t have much left after the fire, but what he does have is too important to ever lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks!


	6. Thirty-Seven: Pancake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam should be past the part of his life when he wants to take home every stray dog he comes across.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pancake is a dog. A good dog.
> 
> Loosely inspired by one of the recent episodes, where Sam says he doesn't know how to talk about his trauma with Dean. I think he needs a dog to talk to, instead, because they're v good listeners.

Sam should be past the part of his life when he wants to take home every stray dog he comes across. He used to try it, when he was a kid, but it didn’t take him long to figure out that he didn’t have much of a home to offer them, anyways; it never really stopped the impulse, though, and even now, as an adult, he feels the tug more often than he cares to admit.

It’s not far from Lebanon that he starts running into one dog in particular every time it’s his turn to go on a beer run. He’s a mutt whose worn-down name tag says he’s called Pancake, and all it takes is a sad pair of eyes turned his way for Sam to fall in love. He starts going out of his way to visit Pancake’s little den as often as he can, bringing food and water with him and usually spending some time there, just keeping the dog company. He desperately wants to bring the poor little guy home, but he’s nervous about what Dean might have to say about it, and ultimately holds off, at least for now.

After the hunt with Rowena, and after Dean fails to soothe Sam’s nerves about the way their lives are completely falling apart, Sam’s too agitated to stay in the bunker. Though Dean would probably be happy enough to leave him alone, he needs the fresh air, and takes one of the other cars out just to get away. He’s got his phone, so his brother won’t drive himself completely insane when he gets to wondering what’s happened, but Sam just… he needs the space right now. He needs to process.

Muscle memory and a need for comfort sends him to where he usually finds Pancake, tucked away between a family bakery and an apartment building. Sure enough, his friend is waiting there, already jumping up and trotting over to greet him, tail wagging.

“Hey, buddy,” Sam murmurs, and he’s already moving to sit down, a smile working its way onto his lips as Pancake pushes in close, licking his face. “Easy, calm down. S'okay.”

It’s only after Pancake bathes most of Sam’s face that he settles, curling up at Sam’s side and resting his head on Sam’s thigh. Already, Sam feels a little better, and he scratches the dog behind his ears, unbothered by where he is or the noise of the street a dozen feet away. The rest of the world seems muffled here, and he’s able to focus on Pancake’s comforting presence and, eventually, the dark thoughts still swirling in the back of his head.

Maybe he should’ve talked to Dean a little longer. Told him what he’d told Rowena and just… give his brother a chance. Sam knows that Dean would’ve listened to him, and tried to help, but…

Even just thinking about trying to share this feeling- the stone that sits heavy in his gut, the claws tugging at the back of his mind, the vice-grip on his lungs- it makes a lump form in his throat, like his body physically won’t allow him to speak. Whatever reassurance might be on the other end of that kind of exchange doesn’t seem worth the mountain he needs to climb to get there, especially not when even just the first step seems impossible.

Looking down at Pancake, though… for a moment, breathing feels a little bit easier. That first step doesn’t seem quite so monumental, almost the way it was when he talked to Rowena.

Maybe he can… try this.

“I, um… okay, this feels stupid,” he mumbles, but Pancake opens his eyes to watch, ears tilting attentively, and it’s the little bit of encouragement Sam needs. “I know you aren’t gonna understand any of this, but… I, um. I’m scared, buddy.”

The words start to come a little easier after that, and Sam starts running his hand down Pancake’s side, soothed by the repetition and the warmth as he speaks. “I never- I never talk about this stuff, and- God, I don’t know, maybe I should? Maybe that would make it better? But I don’t think it’s the kind of thing that ever really  _gets_ better, and- I mean, Dean doesn’t need to hear this. He’s got his own stuff to worry about, right?”

Pancake’s still watching him, and he shifts a little closer, and Sam keeps going, keeping his voice soft. “I don’t know how to fix it. It’s like- every time I close my eyes, he’s there, and it’s- it’s all his faces at once, you know? And it’s my face, too, and- and I can’t decide if that’s better or worse, but it’s always  _there_.”

The words keep coming, and Sam loses track of time, but he ends up with his fingers curled loosely in Pancake’s fur and a cold, wet nose pressed against his other hand. The whole time he talks, spewing every fragmented thought he’s ever had about this horrible thing that’s constantly weighing on him, the dog just sits with him, silent and warm and offering every bit of comfort that Sam needs in those moments. Pancake doesn’t judge, or doubt, or ask questions; he just  _listens_ , and the love and support he gives Sam is unwavering and unconditional, and by the time Sam’s voice starts to crack with use, the sky’s gone dark overhead and he’s crying, tears slipping down his cheeks long before he thinks to notice them.

It’s Sam’s phone that startles him out of the moment, and he swears quietly, scrambling to answer it. Pancake shuffles himself into a sitting position, watching curiously while Sam squints at the display.  _Dean_.

“Hey, where are you?” Dean sounds worried, and Sam feels a little bad about that. “I, um- I’m making dinner, kind of, so I wanted to check if you were around, but I guess you went out-?”

“I’ll be back in a bit.” Sam bites his lip, hesitating as he looks down at Pancake once more. His heart twists painfully at the thought of leaving him behind. “Hey, uh… Dean? How would you feel if I brought a friend home?”

After all of Dean’s ribbing about Sam bringing  _anybody_ home- and after all the complaining about how the bunker’s going to “smell like wet dog”- maybe it’s the look of soft relief on Sam’s face when he walks in with Pancake at his heels that makes Dean a little more open to the idea of getting a pet.

Whatever the reason, it’s easier to breathe now that he’s got someone to talk to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks! <3


	7. Thirty-Eight: Photography

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hold still for me, Jen- yeah, yeah. Just like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't know what this is, but I wanted to do something with Jared as a photographer and Jensen as his model and it's kinda college-y time period and. Vaguely erotic? I guess?

“Hold still for me, Jen- yeah, yeah. Just like that.”

The only sounds Jensen is making are soft little hitched of breath as he moves where Jared directs him, bare skin on silken bedsheets. He’s gorgeous like this, more so than usual, bathed in the first colours of sunset as they filter through the window. Oranges and golds make the cinnamon dusting of freckles across his shoulders more prominent, and highlight the rose-petal pink of his parted lips.

He’s shy. He’s still shy, even after spending so much time with Jared and being as close as they’ve become. It’s clear in the way he doesn’t quite make eye contact, in the delicate blush across his cheeks. Jared doesn’t see it as a deterrent, though, not after the first few times he checked that this was okay, and the first few reassurances that Jensen gave in response, tinged with nerves as they might have been.

He’s a natural model in every sense, and Jared repositions himself one more, ensuring his shot is in focus before taking a few last photos. It’s a project for class, but it’s more than that, too- there’s so much intimacy, so much trust built up between them to have reached this point, and Jared can’t ignore the way his heart beats so desperately in his chest every time he thinks about it. It’s a fragile thing, and he has ever intention of being gentle with it. Every intention of treating Jensen like the masterpiece he is.

One more click of the camera, and he smiles, finally satisfied. “All done,” he says softly, and the light outside is starting to fade, and Jensen finally looks at him properly, forest-green eyes no longer cast in shadow. Jared sets his camera aside and moves closer, and Jensen meets him halfway, and their lips meet, tender. Jared’s hand brushes over Jensen’s bare side, and Jensen shivers, moves closer.

“Thank you,” Jared whispers into the kiss, and Jensen makes a low sound in response. “Couldn’t have asked for anyone better. You’re beautiful. You know that, right?”

Instead of answering him- Jensen usually shies away from those kinds of compliments, though it would take a blind man to think they weren’t genuine- Jensen kisses him again, pulling Jared closer so he’s on the bed, too. The rest doesn’t matter much after that, as his clothes join Jensen’s in a pile on the floor, and the two of them end up tangled together, close and needy for each other.

Jared can capture a lot of things in a photograph, and a million different kinds of beauty, and he can share them with the world. But this- this special, quiet sort of intimacy, this soft part of Jensen that nobody else will ever get to see in these after-moments of contentment and bliss- this, he intends to keep for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	8. Thirty-Nine: Reassurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long fingers are curled tight in Dean’s shirt, tugging, searching. Sam won’t let him move, and they’re pressed too close together, and breathing isn’t as easy as it’s supposed to be, but.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moments after a hunt when the boys are happy to be alive and desperate to be together. and stuff.

“Sam, Sam, hey-”

Long fingers are curled tight in Dean’s shirt, tugging, searching. Sam won’t let him move, and they’re pressed too close together, and breathing isn’t as easy as it’s supposed to be, but.

It’s always these messy moments  _after_ , the ones that happen when the hunt is over and the both of them are dirty and bloody and  _alive;_  the ones where it feels like blasphemy to put a single inch of space between their bodies while the adrenaline begins to fade and their heartbeats start to slow back to normal.

They’re in an abandoned house that feels like it’s bound to collapse at any second, the dead of night doing nothing to muffle the creaking wood every time one of them shifts their weight. Dean’s wedged between his brother and a wall, and Sam’s face is buried in his neck, and Dean’s just trying to breathe, head tilted back and eyes closed like that’ll do anything to expel the scent of death and dust from the air.

When Sam doesn’t move, Dean repeats himself, softer now, urgency fading as the seconds tick by and the both of them continue to exist. “Sam. Hey, we- we can go now. You wanna get going?”

Maybe Sam’s still getting used to this again after years of being out of the life. Dean’s never taken a real break, and even he gets hit hard with it all, sometimes; the fear of losing everything in the space of a second. He can’t look at his little brother while they’re on a job without thinking  _what if?_  and maybe that’s what’s got Sam in this state.

“Yeah,” Sam says, though, and it’s muffled, and Dean can feel Sam’s lips moving against his skin. A shaky breath, and then Sam straightens up, finally. He’s got a busted lip and a cut across his forehead, but the bleeding isn’t bad and they can patch it up when they get home. “Um- yeah. Let’s go.”

A few extra seconds to linger there, and then Dean takes the initiative to lead the way out, not saying a word when Sam sticks right on his heels. Even as they leave this job behind them, there’s always that fear, a constant companion in this line of work, and Dean won’t fault his brother for falling prey to it now.

Besides, he can’t say that he doesn’t appreciate the reassurance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3!


	9. Forty: Unfocused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last, heart-pounding moments of a nasty encounter with a poltergeist, Sam is briefly separated from his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt came from a whump post with a bunch of little things that show up in whump. This was "half-lidded eyes that are going unfocused," plus Dean. Brothers and hurt?

In the last, heart-pounding moments of a nasty encounter with a poltergeist, Sam is briefly separated from his brother. Dean’s thrown through a wall that’s all rotted wood and rusty metal piping, and in the midst of the chaos around him- flying debris, a shaking floor, and a creaking roof overhead that threatens to give way at any moment- Sam can’t spare the second it would take to check that he’s okay.

Right this second, he needs to finish dealing with the spirit, and that’s exactly what he does, finishing the purifying ritual and igniting the tattered ribbon that keeps the thing- a little girl, a few decades ago- tied to the mortal plane. There’s an unearthly scream as it burns, the silk going up quickly and without resistance, and then everything stops, all at once. Chunks of wood and metal hit the ground, and Sam winces, trying to get his bearings as the dust settles when he suddenly remembers what’d happened to Dean.

He doesn’t waste any time after that, swearing quietly and picking his way through the rubble towards where Dean had gone down. When he gets closer, he spots his brother, sitting up but looking a whole lot worse for wear, and Sam’s quick to move towards him, nothing else seeming particularly important right then.

“Dean, hey, are you-” And he doesn’t quite finish that sentence, because when he gets closer, crouches down to check for injuries- that’s when he notices the blood, and he needs a moment to recover, dizzy for a split second before he snaps back into focus. “Shit.”

Dean’s watching him, but when Sam looks up to ask him where it hurts- Dean’s eyes are unfocused, and barely open, and it’s scary. It’s terrifying, as every horrible consequence of blood loss filters through his head all at once, but Dean doesn’t need him to be freaking out right now. Dean needs him to deal with this.

“S'fine,” Dean mumbles at him, and maybe that’s what gets Sam back to work, starting to gently pat Dean down in search of the injury. “I’m just- just a little dizzy. S'fine, Sammy.”

“Shut up,” Sam mutters in return, and when his fingertips bump a place where cold metal meets sticky-wet, his heart stutters in his chest. “Jesus. Did it-?”

It’s a bit of the piping from the wall, and it’s not quite through Dean, but it seems like it took a pretty good chunk of him on the way by. Sam’s gentle as he pulls it away, trying not to wince with the sound Dean makes in response. Next on the agenda is getting Dean out of the pile of rubble he’s in and out of this place before it comes down on top of them, so he ducks down and mumbles something like “hold on” and hauls Dean to his feet, ready to take all the weight that comes his way and ignoring it when Dean grumbles a complaint.

“Just- just work with me here,” he says, just shy of pleading, but Dean doesn’t complain anymore and that’s good enough for now. Sam half-drags him out of the house, ignoring the disaster that’s been left in their wake, because the car is waiting outside and the car has medical supplies and that’s the only thing that matters to him right now. “Just a little further. C'mon, Dean.”

By the time they reach the car, Sam’s nearly had to take Dean right off his feet for all the deadweight he’s providing, but he just powers through and wrenches the passenger’s side door open to sit his brother down, relieved to be somewhere safe. After some fumbling around in the trunk, he returns with disinfectant and a whole lot of gauze, handing them over before he closes the door and heads over to the driver’s side. His adrenaline is starting to fade, and they need to get back to the motel, and he’ll be better off driving before the exhaustion hits.

“Keep pressure on it,” he instructs, as if Dean hadn’t taught him that in the first place. “Just- just hold that there. Can you manage that much?”

Dean huffs at him again, and he’s leaning heavily against the window, but when Sam looks his way, he gets a vaguely annoyed side-glance from his brother. “M'not a baby. I can do it.”

Sure enough, he settles himself with a wad of gauze pressed against the wound, and if nothing else, it’s reassuring that he feels okay enough to express irritation. Sam takes it as a good sign and starts the car, intent on getting them somewhere safe.

There’s a lot left to do once they’re on more solid ground- Dean’s gonna need stitches, and Sam’s already bracing himself for it- but at least they’re safe. That’s good enough for right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks!


	10. Forty-One: Olympics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The TV isn’t very big, or even particularly functional. The image is fuzzy, and the old speakers make everything sound tinny, and they only get twelve channels. It’s like every other TV at every other motel they’ve been through, and still, Dean finds himself huddled in front of it with his little brother tucked against his side, volume turned up high as they watch the Parade of Nations begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny boys watching the Olympics.

The TV isn’t very big, or even particularly functional. The image is fuzzy, and the old speakers make everything sound tinny, and they only get twelve channels. It’s like every other TV at every other motel they’ve been through, and still, Dean finds himself huddled in front of it with his little brother tucked against his side, volume turned up high as they watch the Parade of Nations begin.

Thankfully, of the dozen channels they’ve got access to, about half of them are airing the opening ceremonies. It’s only mid-afternoon in Iowa, but in Albertville, it’s late in the evening, the sky dark overhead but for all the lights of the celebration. It’s amazing to see, and Dean can’t bring himself to look away, even Sammy having quieted down after discovering that Dean was no better at identifying all the unfamiliar flags as he was.

“It’s pretty,” Sammy says in a hushed voice when the torch comes out, and Dean just nods a little bit. “Can we go see it? For real?”

Realistically, Dean knows there’s no way they’re getting to France, never mind that they’d have to get on a plane to do it. He tries not to shudder at the thought. “Maybe someday. They do it in a different place every time, so maybe they’ll come here. Or maybe- maybe I’ll be in them when I grow up, and I’ll bring you with me!”

Sammy giggles at that, bumping into Dean’s side. “What’re you gonna do? Figure skating?”

Dean wrinkles his nose at that. “No. M'gonna be a snowboarder! They’re the coolest.” He nods, like it’s a fact of life. “And I’m gonna get the gold medal, and it’ll be awesome.”

It’s a silly thing to think about, but Sammy seems to appreciate. “And I can come with you?”

“Yeah.” With a firm nod, Dean pulls Sam a little closer to hug. “You can come stand on the- the stand thing with me, where the winners go!”

That seems to please Sammy, and he settles again, a little smile on his face as they continue watching the ceremonies playing out on the screen. He thinks about it as they go to bed that night, becoming something as incredible as an Olympic athlete and bringing his little brother along for the ride, something so much better for them both than a terrifying, nomadic life of hunting. It sends him to sleep with a smile on his face, dreaming of snowy hills and gold medals and Sammy. Sometimes, it’s nice to be able to pretend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	11. Forty-Two: Oral Fixation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared doesn’t think he’s ever going to get enough of this, the way that Jensen goes so pliant and soft under his hands. It’s intoxicating in every sense of the word, and it leaves him dizzy, endlessly needing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in an oral fixation kind of mood. J2 and stuff.

“God, you’re so fuckin’ pretty.”

Jared doesn’t think he’s ever going to get enough of this, the way that Jensen goes so pliant and soft under his hands. It’s intoxicating in every sense of the word, and it leaves him dizzy, endlessly needing more.

It’s getting late, the sun already slipping down below the horizon line, and it’s just the two of them in the world right now, huddled close in bed. Jensen’s splayed out underneath Jared, chest flushed and pupils blown wide and looking every bit as fucked-out as he must feel, the both of them breathless in these fragile moments after. Jared’s hair is sweat-slicked, muscles left with a pleasant ache, and he doesn’t pull away yet, doesn’t pull out. Isn’t quite finished.

He leans in to kiss Jensen, first, and gets a quiet little sigh in return, gets Jensen’s hands curling soft around his biceps to hold him there. Jensen’s pretty all over, of course, and Jared could wax poetic about every single part of his body, but god, his  _mouth_. His beautiful fucking mouth.

When they part for breath, their eyes meet, instead, and Jared smiles, loose and easy. Brings a hand up to cradle Jensen’s cheek, and he’s never, ever going to get over the way that Jensen always leans into it, how receptive he is to this kind of affection. And when Jared moves his hand, lets the edge of his thumb brush Jensen’s lower lip- fuck.  _Fuck_ , the way Jensen’s breath hitches almost does Jared in.

But he’s gentle, still. Strokes his thumb over petal-soft and pretty-pink and takes his time before pressing in, making a little indent. Easy as breathing, Jensen’s lips part, and Jared presses inside, forever obsessed with the warm-wet space and the way it feels when Jensen’s tongue moves against his skin.

“There you go,” Jared whispers, and Jensen’s eyes have gone half-lidded as he starts to suck, slow and careful. “That’s good, darlin’. Really good.”

Eventually, Jensen’s eyes slip shut, and Jared’s left watching him, wholly infatuated with every single part of this. The moon has come out, and Jensen’s skin is lit in soft, silver tones, and Jared thinks he could watch this forever.

He does move, eventually, shifts to lie beside Jensen without pulling his thumb free. Jensen’s content to keep doing as he has been, and Jared doesn’t stop him, tucking himself right against Jensen’s side and closing his eyes as well. It’s a soother for the both of them, in a way, and he’s more than happy to stay like this, Jensen’s lips sealed around the base of his thumb as they drift off together.

It isn’t the first time they’ve fallen asleep like this, and it won’t be the last. Jared’s entirely content in that knowledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	12. Forty-Three: Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “C'mon, it doesn’t mean we’re married or anything.” Jared’s smile gets bigger, and Jensen thinks he must be blushing now, and even though it feels like the entire world has slowed to a halt, like every one of their classmates around them have stopped to stare- life goes on. Everybody continues bustling through the hallways, headed to lunch or their off period, and Jensen continues to exist in this tiny bubble with this cheerful, kind boy who he only really knows by reputation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flowers are nice and high school AUs are cute and J2 are in love.

“I just thought you might like it.”

Jensen’s sure that he looks about as bewildered as he feels, staring at Jared Padalecki, currently offering him a single red rose. Its thorns have been removed, and there’s a pink ribbon tied neatly around its stem, and Jared’s smiling, big and cheerful and apparently unperturbed by Jensen’s confusion.

“C'mon, it doesn’t mean we’re married or anything.” Jared’s smile gets bigger, and Jensen thinks he must be blushing now, and even though it feels like the entire world has slowed to a halt, like every one of their classmates around them have stopped to stare- life goes on. Everybody continues bustling through the hallways, headed to lunch or their off period, and Jensen continues to exist in this tiny bubble with this cheerful, kind boy who he only really knows by reputation.

“I mean, Valentine’s is coming up, right?” Jared pauses, and for the first time, he seems to falter a little. “I guess if there was a girl you wanted to give something to, then… well, there’s always that. You don’t have to tell her it was regifted.”

That’s enough to get Jensen’s brain working again, and he quickly shakes his head. “No, I- I don’t have anybody like that.” He hesitates before gathering his courage and reaching out to carefully take the rose from Jared, deciding it’s worth it for the way Jared lights up in response. “Um… thank you, Jared.”

Jared’s smiling all over again, and he starts talking again as Jensen takes a moment to smell the flower. “You have your free period right now, don’t you? Do you- I mean, you probably already have plans or whatever, but I thought it might be worth asking if you wanted to hang out? We could get lunch or something.”

And as much as Jensen’s used to spending his free periods alone- they’re the only chance he really gets throughout the school day to get a little breathing room, let alone any peace and quiet- when he looks up to meet Jared’s eyes and sees the poorly-concealed hope and excitement, he knows the answer he wants to give.

“Yeah, alright.” He smiles, looking down at his rose once more and wondering if there’s a vase at home he can put it into tonight. “Sounds like fun.”

Jared looks like he’s just short of actually cheering, but settles for another big smile, already starting to talk again as Jensen leads the way to his locker to drop off his things first. He feels light, something warming in his chest every time he looks Jared’s way, and though they don’t know a whole lot about each other quite yet- well, if these first few moments are anything to judge by, it won’t be a burden to spend some more time with Jared and learn a little more about him.

Jensen holds onto his rose for the rest of the day, and it finds a home by his bedside later that night. He closes his eyes thinking about Jared, and falls asleep with a smile on his face and butterflies in his stomach.

Spending more time together doesn’t sound so bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	13. Forty-Four: Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen feels a little bit like he’s been dropped into the middle of an old romantic movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a continuation off that other J2 high school thing. Just Jared and Jensen being small and cute and in love.

Jensen feels a little bit like he’s been dropped into the middle of an old romantic movie.

It’s probably the diner, mostly. Everything about it is vintage, from the checked floor and the  jukebox to the red booths and the milkshake in front of him. It’s cheesy and charming all rolled into one, and as clichéas the whole thing is, he’s got butterflies in his stomach and a cute boy sitting across from him and there’s nowhere else he would rather be right now.

“So was it the rose?” Jared’s grinning, looking like the happiest man in the world while he plays with the straw in his milkshake. “I thought it was pretty romantic.”

It wasn’t the rose itself so much as it was the gesture behind it and the person who’d handed it over, but Jensen decides to keep that to himself. “It was a little bit romantic,” he allows, as if he’s not biting back a smile. “Which movie did you steal it from, huh?”

Jared gives a huff at that, all mock-offended. “I didn’t steal it! That was a Jared Padalecki original. Just for you.”

There’s something really, really sweet about that thought that makes Jensen’s heart flutter in his chest, and he clears his throat gently, trying to cover it up by taking a sip of his milkshake. “Yeah, alright. And you’re right. It was pretty romantic.”

That earns him a dimpled grin, and Jensen thinks he would be content to do just about anything to keep those smiles coming. “Knew it. Now I just have to make sure to keep sweeping you off your feet.”

It’s cute, the honest determination, and Jensen tries to hide his smile. Remembers the way Jared had approached him in the hallway to begin with and thinks that he won’t have to try very hard if this is where he’s starting. “You’re doing a pretty okay job so far.”

Between Jared’s cheerful nature and how intent he seems to be on winning Jensen’s heart, Jensen can’t help but admit to himself that he might be falling for Jared a little bit, too. When the night ends, and Jared takes him home from their date- “of course it’s a date! I asked you out, and you said yes”- and kisses him on the cheek in front of the door, Jensen’s left floating, heart beating too fast in his chest and feeling like he’s just short of starting to doodle hearts around their initials in a notebook. He’s already fallen hard.

Jensen doesn’t think that Jared will have to do very much work at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	14. Forty-Five: Breakfast in Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Breakfast in bed? Really?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write Clay/Tom for V-day, but it wasn't working, so I ended up with some soft J2, instead.

“Breakfast in bed? Really?”

Though Jensen tries his very best to hide it, he can’t help but smile as he watches Jared approach their bed, tray in hand. He’s dressed in his pyjama pants and not a whole lot else, and there’s a pink bow stuck to his chest, right over his heart. Along with the food that’s ben meticulously arranged on the tray, including heart-shaped pancakes, a bowl of strawberries, and a tall cup of coffee, there’s a single rose nestled between a couple plates, pulling the whole image together.

“I thought it would be fun.” Jared’s grinning at him, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he carefully slides into the empty spot by Jensen’s side, setting the tray down in his own lap. “Besides, don’t tell me you haven’t wished breakfast would come to you before.”

“I think you’re thinking of yourself.” Jensen breathes out a laugh, gently picking up the rose to take a closer look. It doesn’t have any thorns on its stem, and the petals are delicately spread apart, making him smile. “But it’s kind of nice, yeah.”

“Ha. Knew it.” Jared’s lips brush his cheek, and Jensen’s smile grows, though he ducks his head in a half-hearted attempt to keep that to himself. “Was it the coffee?”

“Probably.” Setting the rose safely out of harm’s way on the bedside table, Jensen turns his attention back to his husband, reaching out to pluck the bow off of Jared’s chest. “I have to say, though, I’m a big fan of this part, too. Very nice.”

Jared laughs and then catches him for a proper kiss, forms and knives clinking together on the tray as Jensen shifts closer. It’s a struggle to be close together without completely overturning the breakfast that Jared’s made them, but they manage for a few seconds before separating again. “C’mon, it’s gonna get cold. Food first, and the. You get the second part of your present.”

If the wink Jared throws his way is anything to go by, Jensen thinks he’s got a pretty solid idea of what to expect. “You has me at food.”

They settle together under the covers, feeding each other and sipping coffee and laughing at how sappy they’ve managed to become over the years. It’s early in the afternoon, and Jensen’s heart is warm, and he can’t think of one single way that he would rather be spending Valentine’s Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	15. Forty-Six: Play Like a Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Guess I just gotta do what coach says,” he muses, and listens to the way Jensen’s breath hitches as one of Jared’s hands cups him through the panties. “Play like a captain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a really big thing for Jared in a hockey jersey/Jared being a hockey player, which led to this. Um. College thing. Porny. J2. Jensen's got panties on.

“Babe? You home?”

Jared still feels a little out of breath after an early-morning practice, the ache in his muscles a familiar comfort that always comes with a good day out on the ice. He nudges the apartment door shut behind him and drops his bag nearby- he’ll have to move it to the laundry room soon, unless he wants to sleep on the couch tonight- before heading further inside, intent on finding his boyfriend.

Jensen comes to watch his practices more often than not, but he’d opted to stay home today, needing the extra time to finish up an assignment for one of his classes. Jared feels a little silly for missing him there- and the guys had made sure to tease him relentlessly for that- but now that he’s finished for the day, he’s eager to make up for the lost time with Jensen.

As it turns out, finding Jensen isn’t very difficult at all. Jared only has to search as far as the kitchen to find him, standing by the counter with a cup of coffee by his side while he puts the finishing touches on a couple plates of pasta for an early lunch. He’s dressed in one of Jared’s jerseys, and it’s huge on him, falling partway down his bare thighs and doing its damnedest to slip off one of his shoulders. His legs are bare, and his hair is still sleep-mussed, and Jared smiles as his heart stutters in his chest. “Miss me?”

Jensen hums, scooping some more pasta onto each plate before giving Jared some of his attention, throwing a glance over his shoulder. “Depends. Did you shower yet?”

“Maybe.” It’s definitely a no, but he knows Jensen well enough to know that he usually doesn’t mind when Jared’s in a sweaty, post-hockey state. Usually.

Taking his chances on that front, Jared crosses their tiny kitchen to get close to Jensen, ducking down to nuzzle at the bare skin of his neck. “D'you get your work all finished up?”

Jensen doesn’t seem to mind being close, so Jared figures the sweat isn’t a problem today. “Yeah, all done.” Jensen shifts, turning around so he can face Jared properly, leaning into the counter. “Was practice good?”

“Would’ve been better with you there.” Maybe it’s the lingering adrenaline from all the exercise, but Jared can’t quite help himself, hands finding Jensen’s hips and scooping him right up and onto the counter, out of the way of their food. Jensen raises his eyebrows, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, but doesn’t seem all that surprised. “It wasn’t bad, though. It’s almost time to pick team captain, too.”

“Yeah?” Jensen hums, spreading his legs when Jared nudges his way into the space there. Every little bit that the jersey rides up exposes another inch of soft, unmarred skin, enticing Jared to continue. “You think you’ve got a shot at it?”

Jared takes a moment to answer, busying himself by playing with the hem of the jersey, his fingertips brushing over the tops of Jensen’s thighs. The jersey is dark blue, a stark contrast against milky-white and cinnamon-dust freckles, and Jared wants to take his time with this. “Maybe. I know it’ll go to whichever guy deserves it most.”

“You’re too humble.” Jensen’s fingers find Jared’s hair, still sweaty and mussed up after wearing his helmet, and Jensen starts combing through it, slow and careful. One of his sleeves slips down his arm, bunching up and exposing a wrist. He’s not small by any means, but he always seems so delicate like this; tiny and fragile when he wears Jared’s clothes. “You’d be great for it. All those guys love you.”

Jared smiles to himself and finally pushes the jersey up towards Jensen’s hips, a shot of heat going straight to his core when he finds what he’s looking for. Jensen’s panties are the same dark blue as the jersey, with a delicate lace trim in white and green. His cock presses insistently against the soft fabric, and Jared grins.

“Guess I just gotta do what coach says,” he muses, and listens to the way Jensen’s breath hitches as one of Jared’s hands cups him through the panties. “Play like a captain.”

They don’t talk much after that, because Jensen leans forward and presses his lips against Jared’s, hard and insistent, fingers still caught up in his hair. Jared mostly focuses on moving his hand, letting the panties stay right where they are and intent on letting Jensen know just how appreciated he is.

It’s a little clumsy, and a little desperate, Jensen’s legs hooking around Jared’s hips to keep him close. Jared’s already painfully hard in his sweats, but all of his attention is on his boyfriend, on hearing more of the sweet little ah-ah-ah noises that Jensen makes with every twist of his wrist. He’s addicted to this, to making Jensen fall apart, and at this point in their relationship, he’s damn good at it, too.

“C'mon,” he mumbles against Jensen’s lips, and they’re hardly even kissing anymore, Jensen all open-mouthed neediness and Jared busy tasting the moans that slip free. “C'mon, Jen, want you to come for me. Ruin those pretty panties, baby.”

Jensen’s grip on his hair tightens when Jared picks up the pace, and then Jensen’s crying out, his whole body tensing up as he does what he’s told. He shakes through his orgasm, and Jared doesn’t slow down, working his hand against Jensen’s covered cock and feeling the hot spill of come underneath.

Jensen’s left panting hard in the aftermath, and Jared curls an arm around him to help keep him upright, smiling to himself. “There you go,” he murmurs, and he moves his attention to Jensen’s throat, pressing a few absent kisses there and nibbling gently. “How’s that?”

He gets an absent hum in response, and one of Jensen’s hand slips out of his hair, trailing downwards. When it pushes right down into Jared’s sweats to curl around his cock, Jared doesn’t try to hide the sound he makes, not shy about the way his hips press forward in search of more friction. After the build-up, he knows he isn’t going to last long, and with Jensen all soft and warm in his arms like this, loose and sleepy after his own orgasm, it’s hard to be bothered by that fact.

Jensen finishes him off quickly, a messy handjob that leaves Jared boneless and leaning hard into the counter Jensen’s seated on, and if he didn’t need a shower before, he certainly does now.

When he expresses that sentiment in a mumble against Jensen’s shoulder, Jensen laughs. “I guess lunch is already cold, anyways. Lead the way, big guy.”

Jared takes that as a cue to scoop Jensen up all over again, cradling him close and simply carrying him towards the bathroom. Jensen’s a good sport about it and holds on tight, Jared’s jersey still too big on his frame and probably needing a wash now, too, along with the matching panties.

Jared figures that moments like this one make it more than worth that extra bit of effort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	16. Forty-Seven: Cozy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s snowing outside. Big, chunky flakes drift down from the sky in wide, lazy spirals, making the whole world seem like it’s moving a little bit more slowly. Like it’s a little bit sleepy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted something soft and it makes me happy when it snows. J2 and just. Soft.

It’s snowing outside. Big, chunky flakes drift down from the sky in wide, lazy spirals, making the whole world seem like it’s moving a little bit more slowly. Like it’s a little bit sleepy.

Jensen’s curled up by their wide bay window, cozy with his knees pulled up to his chest and tucked against one corner of the couch. He’s got a hot cup of coffee cradled between his hands, and his eyes are on the winter scene on the other side of the glass, content to let the minutes tick by in silence as he watches the snow pile up on the branches of a big pine tree in their backyard.

Beside him, Jared’s dozed off, somehow managing to scrunch up his body into the space afforded by the rest of the couch. His head rests against Jensen’s shoulder, his hair tickling Jensen’s neck, and his breathing is soft and quiet. He looks younger like this, and Jensen smiles to himself, taking a moment to look.

They have nowhere to be today, and nothing that needs their immediate attention. With so much free time at hand, it only seems right to devote some of it to a slow, sleepy morning.

Jensen turns his eyes back to the window, taking a sip of his coffee and letting out a soft breath. He thinks he could spend hours like this, watching the snow as it drifts down to blanket the world, leaving it all blurry and soft. With the most important person in his life safe and warm by his side, and nothing to worry about besides whether or not to let his eyes slip shut…

Yeah. Letting the day pass like this doesn’t sound bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	17. Forty-Eight: Cold Fingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “C'mon, close the door, you’re letting all the cold air in!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dumb, soft J2. It's winter and it's cold and they cuddle a bit.

“C'mon, close the door, you’re letting all the cold air in!”

Jensen’s laughing, despite himself, trying to tug Jared farther inside and nudge the front door shut and hold onto the freshly-brewed coffee in his hand all at once. Jared’s got a fine dusting of snow on him, quickly melting into little water droplets that gather on his hat and the scarf that’s all bunched up around his neck. He’s just finished shoveling outside after another night of heavy snowfall, and by the pink in his cheeks, it’s cold and windy out, too.

Jared’s grinning, despite the weather, and once they finally manage to shut the door, he’s right to the matter of getting off the winter clothes, his thick gloves hitting the floor first. “What, you don’t want a taste of the cold?” he teases, and then without warning, he sneaks one of his hands up the hem of Jensen’s shirt. One brush of his icy fingers is enough to make Jensen yelp, scrambling away and trying to keep his coffee in its mug, and Jared’s laughing, and it’s all a bit of a mess.

“I’ll banish you to the couch,” Jensen warns once he’s caught his breath and put a bit of distance between them, but the threat is dulled by the grin on his face and he can’t bring himself to go very far. “And you’ll have to warm up all by yourself.”

“Yeah?” Jared huffs out another laugh, busying himself with shedding the rest of the winter clothes as he speaks. “You wouldn’t. You like my company too much. And you’d freeze without me.”

Once Jared’s left a pile of clothes in his wake, he moves right back into Jensen’s space, following him towards the living room where Jensen’s already managed to get a fire going for them. Another hot mug of coffee waits there for Jared, a blanket and an assortment of pillows gathered up on the floor, and that’s where Jensen goes, getting good and comfortable there and only grumbling a little bit when Jared cozies up beside him. His fingers are still cold, and Jensen squirms a little bit when they find his bare skin again.

“Seems like freezing with you is just as likely.” Still, Jensen can’t quite resist shuffling closer, tucking himself right up against Jared’s side, happy to lean against him and curling his fingers tight around his mug. “You’re lucky you’re cute. Otherwise I’d definitely banish you.”

Jared nods, placating, and then presses his cheek against Jensen’s for a moment, probably just for the sake of sharing how cold he is. Jensen wrinkles his nose until Jared kisses him after. His lips aren’t cold, at least. “I’m sure you would.”

Jensen huffs quietly, and a comfortable silence settles over them, curled up together with their morning coffee and the fireplace keeping them cozy. The cold weather is already making Jensen a little sleepy, and for now, this is a perfectly relaxed start to his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	18. Forty-Nine: Bruises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean stays still as Sam’s fingertips brush over the bruises, just watching for now. “Like that?”
> 
> “Nah, you’re too gentle.” Dean reaches out to push his fingers into Sam’s hair, smoothing out some tangles. “Doesn’t hurt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write something about bruises. Wincest if you squint.

Dean can’t help but wince as he kicks off his jeans, sitting down hard at the edge of the mattress and bending down to inspect his leg. His knees are already blooming purple and blue from a hard fall outside, and he thumbs over the bruises, frowning with the ache that it causes.

“Does it hurt bad?”

It’s Sam that grabs his attention, and Dean looks up, watching as his brother wanders closer to see. He shakes his head, sitting back so Sam can inspect to his heart’s content. “Not really. Just when I touch ‘em.”

Sam hums, and he’s already getting in close, dropping down to crouch on the floor in front of Dean. He’s all sharp edges, caught in the middle of a growth spurt, but he looks small like this, bangs falling over his eyes. Dean stays still as Sam’s fingertips brush over the bruises, just watching for now. “Like that?”

“Nah, you’re too gentle.” Dean reaches out to push his fingers into Sam’s hair, smoothing out some tangles. “Doesn’t hurt.”

Sam’s quiet for a moment, and he presses in just a little bit harder- just enough that Dean can feel it- before letting up again. “They’re pretty. The colours.”

Dean smiles at that, despite himself. “You’re weird.”

Sam huffs a little bit, and then he’s leaning in closer, pretty-pink lips brushing each bruise before he stands again. “Maybe. But they are.”

Dean’s left smiling to himself as Sam wanders off to busy himself elsewhere, glancing down at his bruises once more before standing to find himself a pair of sweats to pull on. Maybe Sam’s not entirely wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	19. Fifty: Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean’s on the couch with a tub of ice cream when his brother joins him, nudging Dean’s feet out of the way to plop down at the other end. Once they’re settled properly, Dean lifting his feet to rest in Sam’s lap, he offers up his spoon without looking away from the TV. It’s a repeat of an old Dr. Sexy episode, but he’s still invested. “Double chocolate chunk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a teenchesters thing. So... here it is?

Dean’s on the couch with a tub of ice cream when his brother joins him, nudging Dean’s feet out of the way to plop down at the other end. Once they’re settled properly, Dean lifting his feet to rest in Sam’s lap, he offers up his spoon without looking away from the TV. It’s a repeat of an old Dr. Sexy episode, but he’s still invested. “Double chocolate chunk.”

Sam’s raising an eyebrow when Dean glances his way, but he accepts the spoon anyways, digging it into the ice cream. “What happened?”

Turning back to his show, Dean gets comfy again. “What, something has to happen for me to be eating a tub of ice cream?”

“Eating a tub of ice cream and watching a soap opera,” Sam replied dryly. As he speaks, one of the nurses on screen bursts into tears and runs off. “You’re the picture of post-breakup.”

Dean buffs at that, pulling his ice cream close again and holding his hand out until Sam hands over the spoon again. “I am not. Shut up.”

They both stay quiet for a few minutes, just watching the drama unfolding onscreen. When it cuts to a commercial break, Sam speaks up again. “So nothing happened? Really?”

Dean burrows himself a little deeper into the couch. Shovelling another spoon of ice cream into his mouth, he mumbles around it. “Katie- you know, that girl from the diner?- she thinks we’re better off being ‘just friends’. She didn’t even tell me why.”

Sam stays quiet for a moment, and Dean focuses on his ice cream, intent on eating the entire carton. He already regrets opening his mouth, so maybe it’s better off if he just drowns himself in double chocolate chunk.

“Doesn’t matter why.”

The words aren’t terribly comforting, and Dean makes a face as he looks at his brother, shoving Sam lightly with his foot. “Thanks.”

“Shut up.” Sam sighs at him. “It doesn’t matter, because she’s not good enough for you, okay? If she doesn’t want to be with you, then she doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

Dean stays quiet after that, watching Sam for a few seconds. Eventually, he looks back at the TV, letting out a soft breath. “Thanks.”

Between the two of them, they do finish the ice cream, and they get sucked into watching a few more episodes as they rest. It isn’t much, and Dean figured they’ll both have stomach aches for it later, but for now- well, it’s nice to be together like this instead of alone right now. That’s something he can hold onto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks!


	20. Fifty-One: Buzzer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared’s big enough all by himself, but standing on skates and bundled up in his hockey gear, he’s a giant, still managing to look graceful as he steps off the ice. He doesn’t follow his teammates right away, stepping out of the way just in time for Jensen to reach him, stretching up on his toes to wrap his arms tight around Jared’s neck. He’s just barely able to reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of this hockey-player!Jared college AU because I love it. Less porn this time and more "Jensen is head-over-heels in love", because that's my jam.

The buzzer is loud, but familiar as the clock ticks down to zero and the third period comes to a close. The scoreboard reads 2-0 in favour of the home team, and Jensen can’t wipe the smile off his face, already getting to his feet from his place in the stands to hurry down  to the boards, watching as the teams line up to shake hands now that the game is over.

He’s waiting by the door when it’s pushed open and the players start filing out, chatting and laughing and nudging each other on the way to the locker rooms. A couple of them smile at Jensen- he’s a common fixture at their games, and oftentimes their practices, too- but Jensen’s only got eyes for one.

Jared’s big enough all by himself, but standing on skates and bundled up in his hockey gear, he’s a giant, still managing to look graceful as he steps off the ice. He doesn’t follow his teammates right away, stepping out of the way just in time for Jensen to reach him, stretching up on his toes to wrap his arms tight around Jared’s neck. He’s just barely able to reach.

“Hey,” Jared says, and he’s grinning, breathless, reaches up to pull his helmet off with the hand that’s not holding his stick. His hair’s a mess, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it, not wasting any time in leaning down to press his lips to Jensen’s. He mumbles into the kiss while Jensen hangs off of him, unwilling to let go quite yet. “How’d we look?”

“You always look great.” Jensen smiles, pulling away just enough to breathe and to get his feet back under him, trying to stay close to Jared despite the fact that he’s standing three or four inches taller than usual. “But I might be a little bit biased.”

Jared snorts out a laugh, and he shakes his head. “Maybe a little. You wanna head right home after this? Still enough time to go out for dinner, if you want.”

Jensen considers that for a moment- it’s been a while since they’ve had a proper date night, after all- but ultimately, all he wants to do right now is curl up with his boyfriend on the couch and spend some time together. “Nah. Let’s just take it easy tonight.”

“Sounds good.” Jared smiles once more, then leans down for another kiss, letting it linger a little longer this time. “I’ll be out in a bit, ‘kay? Don’t leave without me.”

Once they separate, Jared turns to follow his teammates, and Jensen’s left with a smile on his face and a light, fluttery feeling in his chest. He hopes that he never gets past the part of this relationship where he feels this way every single time they’re together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	21. Fifty-Two: Borrowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts when Sam is seventeen years old and starting to get too big for Dean’s secondhand clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing makes me quite as happy as the thought of Dean stealing his little brother's hoodies when he's not feeling good.
> 
> (See: Faith.)

It starts when Sam is seventeen years old and starting to get too big for Dean’s secondhand clothes. He’s lanky, lacking muscle mass after a series of quick growth spurts, and Dean’s old clothes are short on him, leaving his wrists and ankles uncomfortably exposed. Eventually, they scrape together some spare cash and manage to buy him some bigger clothes that are all his own, and though Dean kind of misses seeing Sam in his things, Sam seems happier for it, and Dean takes some comfort in that.

It’s a nasty cold that comes over Dean in the winter months, leaving him aching from head to toe and constantly shivering. All he wants to do is curl up in bed and stay there until he gets better or dies, but he forces himself to at least take a hot shower on his way there, trying to ward off the insistent pounding at the front of his skull.

One of Sam’s new hoodies happens to be thrown over the back of a chair as Dean shuffles his way back to bed, and he grabs it impulsively, pulling it over his head for the extra bit of warmth. As expected, it’s big on him, the sleeves falling down over his knuckles, and maybe that’s the part that has him immediately feeling a little better.

When Sam gets home from school and finds Dean wearing his hoodie, burrowed deep in bed with a pile of tissues at his side, he raises his eyebrows. “You better not get your germs all over that.”

Dean responds by snuggling down a little further into the nest he’s built himself, only feeling a tiny bit guilty for stealing the sweater in the first place. He washes it before giving it back to his brother, and promises himself that he’ll stick to his own clothes from here on out.

Things don’t turn out quite that way. The next time Dean finds himself laid up in bed, it’s after a particularly rough hunt; a ghoul has taken a chunk out of his leg, and he’s bruised all over from being thrown around by the thing. After getting patched up, Dean’s left to recover for a couple weeks, and the first time he gets up to grab himself a snack-

Well. Sam’s bag is open by the other bed, and one of his hoodies is sitting right on top, tossed aside by his brother after a long day, and Dean can’t quite help himself.

It’s something that carries through the years, and Dean never really grows out of the habit once it’s established. There’s something about wearing Sam’s clothes, big and comfortable as they are, that makes him feel better whenever he needs a little bit of comfort. Maybe it’s the way they make him feel small and safe, sleeves falling down over his hands when he doesn’t make an effort to roll them up, or maybe it’s the way they smell faintly like Sam past the warm, clean scent of laundry detergent. Whatever the case, it’s a guilty pleasure that Dean never really learns to let go of, even well into adulthood when he’s sure he should be past stealing clothes from his little brother.

If it bothers Sam, he never says anything about it. Mostly, when he catches Dean bundled up in one of his sweaters, he just smiles, something fond in his expression.

“Maybe we can have chicken soup tonight,” Sam muses on one such occasion, finding Dean curled up on the couch with a lapful of blankets and wearing one of Sam’s older hoodies. It’s from his time at Stanford, and it’d even been big on Sam when he wore it back then. “Looks like you could use it.”

Dean just hums, sniffling back his stuffed nose and making room for Sam when he sits down on the other end of the couch. “Yeah. Maybe.”

Sometimes, it’s nice to just settle down like this and let himself feel safe for a while. Sam’s gotten good at recognizing when Dean has these moments, and never seems opposed to indulging him a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	22. Fifty-Three: Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jensen’s day has been absolutely awful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same kind of high school AU verse from before. J2 and stuff.

Jensen’s day has been absolutely awful.

It’s not so much that anything monumentally bad has happened. The snow had made him late in the morning, and he’s pretty sure he bombed his calculus test, and some asshole had knocked him on his ass in their rush to get to class, and he hadn’t had enough time to eat a proper lunch between classes- it’s just a whole lot of little things that have piled on top of a shitty night’s sleep and the beginnings of a cold. All of it has left him with a pounding headache and a wish to be back at home, curled up in bed instead of trudging through the school’s hallways after his last class. With some measure of luck, he’ll be able to just grab his things and go, with no interference between him and his bed. With his family out of town, it shouldn’t be too hard.

As he reaches his locker, though, interference comes in the form of one of his classmates- more specifically, in the form of his maybe-boyfriend. Jared looks as cheerful as ever, perking up when he spots Jensen approaching, and though a tiny part of Jensen is irritated that he won’t be able to quietly grab his things and leave- mostly, that’s drowned out by the familiar warmth that always fills him when Jared’s nearby.

“Hey,” Jared says once Jensen gets close, shifting out of the way so Jensen can open his locker. “You ready to head out?”

It takes a moment for that sentence to make any sense, and when Jensen remembers, he almost groans out loud. They’re supposed to be going out tonight, a nice restaurant that Jared’s picked out in advance, but just the thought of being out in public for any longer makes his headache even worse. He hates the thought of bailing on their plans, though, especially when Jared’s been so excited for them, and he’s torn. “Oh- um.”

Maybe Jared picks up on the flash of panic in his expression, because he frowns a bit, ducking down to get a better look at Jensen’s face as he finally manages to get his locker open and starts getting his things together. “Are you feeling okay?”

For a moment, Jensen considers lying, but it passes quickly. “It’s not… it’s nothing about tonight, I promise, it’s just- it’s been a shitty day, and I think I’m getting sick, and I kind of just… want to go home right now, you know?”

Jared’s quiet for a moment, and Jensen’s terrified that he’s ruined this delicate, brand-new thing they have, and he keeps his eyes fixed on the inside of his locker for those few, heart-pounding seconds. When Jared eventually speaks up, it’s softer. “Would you be completely opposed to some company?”

Jensen’s shoulders sag a little bit in relief, and he peeks up to see Jared’s tentative, hopeful smile. “That… doesn’t sound too bad, no.”

“I can make you soup,” Jared offers. “And we can just take it easy, and maybe save the wine-and-dine for another night, yeah?”

Jensen doesn’t think he could’ve stopped himself from smiling if he’d tried. “Yeah. That- that would be good. Really good.”

Jared smiles, too, and then leans in to give Jensen a careful peck on the cheek. “Then grab your stuff and let’s go. I’ve got the car today, so no bus needed.”

As Jensen pulls on his backpack and lets Jared tuck him in close under his arm, he finds himself wondering what he did to deserve somebody like Jared in his life. Whatever it was, he’s damn grateful, and hope he can hold onto this forever and ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	23. Fifty-Four: Flowers and Tattoos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s not the shop itself, really. Jensen’s wandered by a few of them in his time, and they all tend to blur together- he doesn’t exactly have a green thumb, himself- but this one. This one piques his interest entirely because of the man who owns it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in a florist/tattoo artist kinda mood. Here's a small thing where Jensen's got a giant crush.

The flower shop next door has attracted Jensen’s curiosity ever since he got this job. It’s a little tattoo parlour, and it’s exactly the kind of place he’s always wanted to work at; out of the way but popular enough to have a steady flow of customers. He’s got a good boss, and it’s close enough to his apartment that he can walk to work if the weather’s nice.

But the flower shop. The flower shop might be the most interesting part of this place so far.

It’s not the shop itself, really. Jensen’s wandered by a few of them in his time, and they all tend to blur together- he doesn’t exactly have a green thumb, himself- but this one. This one piques his interest entirely because of the man who owns it.

At first glance, Jared seems like the last person who would make a living caring for flowers. He’s big, bigger than Jensen- which says a lot in itself- and he’s built like a brick house, every part of him massive. He might be intimidating if it weren’t for the sunny smile that’s usually gracing his face, or the dimples in his cheeks that make him look a lot younger than he is. It only takes one meeting with Jared- the two of them bumping into each other first thing in the morning, opening up their respective places of work- for Jensen to decide that he might have a little bit of a crush.

“Y'know, I’ve always wanted a tattoo,” Jared tells him in those few moments, and Jensen’s busy just staring at him, embarrassed later by how badly he wishes he could continue forever. “Maybe I’ll have to come by sometime.”

Just a  _tiny_ crush.

So more and more often, Jensen finds himself looking for small excuses to see Jared. Mostly, he’s gotten into the habit of showing up for work early and staying late, hoping to catch Jared at the start or end of the day. It’s working, at least a little bit- they get a few seconds to chat most days, and that’s something, but Jensen wants more.

He needs to make a move.

When he wanders over to Jared’s shop at the start of his lunch break, it’s with an excuse at the tip of his tongue in case things go sideways.  _We’re out of change, can you break a couple fifties?_  Jensen’s a little embarrassed to admit how many times he’s run over the whole scenario in his head, prepared for rejection or at the very least an extremely awkward encounter if he manages to fumble the whole thing, so he’s braced for the worst as he lets himself in. The bell rings over his head, and has to pause for a moment, just to breathe in the colourful, fresh scent of the place.

“Oh, hey!” Jared spots him immediately, and he comes out from behind the counter to meet Jensen at the door. “Jensen, what’s up?”

Jensen smiles, because he can’t help himself, and focuses on the script he’s prepared for himself. He can do this. “Hey. Um- well, I just got off on my lunch break, and I wanted to ask-”

“Do you want to grab something to eat?” Jared cuts him off, and it’s with a big smile, looking like he’s ready to start bouncing with excitement. “I mean- I’m my own boss, technically, so I can take lunch whenever I want, and- well, it’s lunch time! So d'you want to go out somewhere?”

Jared stealing the hardest part of the exchange right out of Jensen’s mouth is as surprising as it is a relief, and he nods right away, not letting himself hesitate. “Yeah! Um- yeah, that would be good. If you’re not busy.”

“I’m not.” Jared shakes his head, and he’s already turning to head back to the counter, rustling around behind it while he gets himself organized. “There’s this great café down the road- you’ve probably already been, but you’ve got to try their sandwiches. And they’ve got awesome soup, too, and coffee. And pastries!”

Jared’s enthusiasm is adorable, and Jensen’s smiling all over again, feeling his heart flutter in his chest. God, he’s already in too deep. “All you had to say was coffee. Sounds like a plan.”

Once Jared’s sorted out, he locks up the shop and they start to head down the street together, an easy conversation starting up and their hands bumping together a couple times between them. Jensen feels lighter than he has in ages, happy to listen to Jared talk about his business and then answer the questions he’s got about what Jensen does for a living. Over a couple cups of coffee and a delicious lunch, Jensen comes to realize that this might be just a little bit more than the tiny crush he thought he had.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	24. Fifty-Five: Collection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam starts collecting pretty rocks when he’s six years old.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random thought I had.

Sam starts collecting pretty rocks when he’s six years old. He’ll scoop them up on the walk between school and the motel (Dean always holds his hand real tight, but doesn’t stop him from picking pebbles up off the sidewalk), or at the local park, or out behind the school playground. Shiny ones, or colourful ones, or ones that look like things besides rocks (“Dean, it looks like a fishy!”). He rubs them clean of dirt and puts them in his pockets and chatters about them to his big brother, who nods along and sometimes even points out the ones that Sam doesn’t spot on his own.

At every motel, Sam finds somewhere to keep them. Lined up on one of the bedside tables, usually, unless Dad needs them for other stuff, ordered by their size or colour or some combination thereof. Sometimes he’ll keep one in his pocket for when he goes to school, ‘cause they’re neat-looking and it makes him feel a little better to have something to play with during free time.

The one thing he can’t do, he learns right away, is take them with him when they leave.

“We don’t have the space,” Dad tells him, and he looks a little regretful when he says it, but stays firm. “Sorry, kiddo.”

Sam gets it, because he’s heard the same thing before. It’s the same reason he can’t get a puppy, and why Dean can’t get a bike when he asks, and why they can’t have all kinds of things that normal kids get. He does his very best to understand, because when he starts asking questions about why they can’t be normal, Dad gets real sad about it, and Dean usually does his best to change the subject.

So every time they have to hit the road again, Sam takes the time to return his pretty rocks to the outdoors. He doesn’t bring them back to where he found them, exactly- usually, he’ll pick a good spot and lay them out in the same meticulous way that he does when he keeps them in the room, neat and pristine so that maybe some other kid will wander by and think they’re pretty. Maybe that kid will be able to take them home and keep them forever.

Sam does keep one rock for himself, now. It’s the very first one he found and brought home, smooth to the touch with a pretty white line of crystal through the middle. He keeps it close, tucked away in a secret compartment of his bag, because they’ve got room for that much, right?

Even if they can’t hang around and have somewhere he can start a real collection, at least he’s got one pretty thing he can hold onto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	25. Fifty-Six: Workout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Good workout, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J2 work out and flirt and stuff. The end.

“Good workout, huh?”

Jensen can’t wipe the smile off his face, bumping into Jared on every other step as the two of them leave the gym together. They’re still in their workout clothes, muscles warm after a good session and endorphins running high. He always feels good when they take the time to do this, and though it can be hard sometimes to fit it into a schedule packed with filming and convention visits, it’s always worth the effort.

“Wanna hit the showers before we go?” Jared asks, but the suggestive way he waggles his eyebrows gives the words a different meaning entirely. “I bet if we hurry, we’ll get them all to ourselves.”

Jensen snorts out a laugh and elbows Jared in the ribs. “You might be an exhibionist at heart, but I’m good. I don’t think we’ll die from being sweaty for a few extra minutes.”

“You never know, Jen.” Jared elbows him back, and Jensen huffs. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Jensen doesn’t dignify that with a response, and the two of them fall into a comfortable silence for a moment. As they turn the corner into an empty hallway on the way out, though, Jared catches Jensen’s arm to stop him from walking, and a moment later, their lips are pressed together, slow and easy. Jared’s smiling into it, and Jensen can’t help but do the same, a hand lifting to catch in Jared’s shirt and hold on for a few seconds longer.

“You sure about the showers?” Jared mumbles between their lips, and then Jensen’s laughing again, not quite shoving him away. “C'mon, it’ll be fun.”

Finally, Jensen gets himself some breathing room, mostly because they’re still in a relatively public space. “We’ve got a shower back at the room. It’ll still be fun without the public indecency. Promise.”

He gets a dramatic sigh in response, but Jared takes his hand and they’re back to walking, an easy conversation cropping up between them on the way to the car. There’s a comfortable ache in Jensen’s muscles, and a light feeling in his chest, and the person he loves most in the world is at his side, just as content as he is.

This is always a nice way to get the day started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	26. Fifty-Seven: Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, c'mon, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just. Kisses. Loosely inspired by [this](http://babybrotherdean.tumblr.com/post/171323868041) because my queue happened to spit it out.

“Hey, c'mon, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

Dean breathes out a laugh and tilts his head back, because Sam doesn’t seem like he intends to let up any time soon. He’s got his lips pressed to Dean’s pulse point, working his way up and down at a lazy pace. They’re in bed together, and it’s getting late, and they should probably get to sleep soon, considering the early start they’ve got tomorrow, but.

“Nobody’s gonna believe I’m in the FBI if I show up covered in hickies, Sam.”

Sam huffs out a breath through his nose and then nips at Dean’s skin, just enough to make Dean laugh again. He can’t bring himself to be all that concerned, really, not when his brother’s settled mostly on top of him, a comfortable weight that blankets him in warmth. Not when they’re both safe right now, both in one piece. Without a case on the go, it feels like they can take this little moment for themselves, and with that in mind, Dean slides a hand into Sam’s hair, just stroking absently.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he mumbles, closing his eyes while Sam gives a pleased hum. He’s settled down a bit, tiny butterfly kisses pressed to Dean’s skin every few seconds, and maybe he’s finally starting to get sleepy, too.

“You’re cute,” Sam retorts, and it’s muffled because he doesn’t give himself any space to say it, and Dean just smiles. “Go to sleep.”

Dean considers telling Sam that it would be a lot easier to manage that if his little brother wasn’t busy with nibbling at his throat, but he stays quiet, instead, content to let Sam continue as the both of them start drifting off. Hell; he’s certainly slept through worse, and there’s something inherently comforting about having Sam’s warmth pressed against him. It’s always better this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	27. Fifty-Eight: Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They haven’t been together as long as most other bonded pairs, but already, Jensen feels like this is right; like he’s been waiting his entire life to have Jared as his partner. He can only hope that Jared feels the same way- though their connection strengthens by the day, Jared hasn’t shifted for him yet, and there’s only so much communication that can happen when only one of them is capable of human speech.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragons are cool and dragon AUs are even cooler, maybe. I wanted to try my hand at a thing, so?

The sun has long since set by the time they touch down on the ground, a long day of travel behind them and more of it to come once they’ve gotten some rest. Overhead, the sky is dark, the stars twinkling clearly in the absence of a competing light source as the moon takes cover behind a slow-moving cloud bank. Even as the world begins to thaw in preparation of the coming spring, it’s still cold at night, and come morning, frost will cling to the foliage, the tiny crystals of ice serving as the last lingering remnants of winter.

Jensen is exhausted, and though he’s flown through the night in the past, he knows better than to push Jared too hard. Neither of them are fit to continue right now, and it’s with a sense of relief that he spots a clearing among the trees down below. Jared seems just as happy to land for the day, kicking up big gusts of wind with his wings as they make their descent.

“There we go,” Jensen murmurs once Jared’s feet are on the ground, and he doesn’t waste any time in swinging a leg off the leather saddle and sliding down off of Jared’s back. It’s a bit of a drop, but he’s used to it, huffing out a breath when his feet hit the ground before straightening up again. “Don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed.”

While Jensen stretches his arms up above his head and takes a quick inventory of his own body- his cheeks are feeling wind-burned, which is nothing new, but it’s already warmer down here than it is up in the sky- Jared makes himself comfortable, pacing around the clearing a couple times like he usually does whenever they land somewhere new. Typical dragon behaviour, he’s been told; something to do with making sure it’s safe to settle here. In a place like this, though, with no predators big enough to challenge a creature like Jared, Jensen suspects it’s a moot point. They’re miles away even from other dragons, so he can’t imagine they’ll run into any trouble during their brief stay.

They haven’t been together as long as most other bonded pairs, but already, Jensen feels like this is right; like he’s been waiting his entire life to have Jared as his partner. He can only hope that Jared feels the same way- though their connection strengthens by the day, Jared hasn’t shifted for him yet, and there’s only so much communication that can happen when only one of them is capable of human speech.

Still, he isn’t all that worried. Jared’s finally settled down, his body in a loose curl near the middle of the clearing, and Jensen heads over to join him. Even with the furs he’s picked up since they started travelling north, it’s cold tonight, and the heat that Jared gives off is always a comfort when it’s time to sleep. Jared seems ready for him, and once Jensen gets close enough, he curls up a little tighter, his tail coming around to create a little circle of protection from the outside world.

“Early start tomorrow, right?” Jensen asks softly when he reaches Jared’s shoulder. He sits himself down in the grass, already settling back to lean against Jared’s body. He’s warm to the touch, like always, scales matte black under the faint moonlight overhead. “We’ve still got a long way to go.”

Jared huffs out a breath and curls in on himself more tightly, setting his head down not far from Jensen’s feet. His eyes are already closed, but Jensen knows he isn’t asleep quite yet. In all their time together, he’s never caught Jared sleeping, and Jensen has a growing suspicion that Jared waits for him to fall asleep first, every time. It’s kind of comforting, so he hasn’t mentioned it yet.

Jensen closes his eyes, too, settling in a little deeper against Jared and letting the warmth soothe him. Right now, everything else can wait while the both of them get some much-needed rest. “Night.”

He falls asleep to the gentle rumble of Jared’s breathing, and to the feeling of being protected. It isn’t something he’s used to quite yet, but it’s definitely something he’s come to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	28. Fifty-Nine: Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s not going to get any better if you keep moving around like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More dragon!Jared AU. Because I wanted to.

“It’s not going to get any better if you keep moving around like that.”

Jensen’s got his brow furrowed, trying to concentrate on what he’s doing instead of the way that Jared refuses to sit still for him. A close encounter with wild dragon has left Jared wounded, a parallel set of gashes in his side from where the other creature had dug its claws in. They were able to get away otherwise unscathed, but it’s left both of them on edge, and Jensen can’t really blame his partner for being antsy now that they’ve landed.

Still, they’re not going anywhere until he’s taken a better look at the wounds. They aren’t bleeding much anymore, which is comforting, and Jared doesn’t seem like he’s in a terrible amount of pain. All things considered, this could’ve been much worse, and Jensen takes a moment to be thankful that it wasn’t.

“You’re just going to aggravate them if you start flying again.” Jensen’s talking mostly to fill the silence; he’s sure Jared knows all of this perfectly well for himself, and the little grumble he gets in response confirms it. He does settle down a little more, though, slowly lying down where he is to let Jensen do his thing. “There you go.”

It takes a moment to find the jar, but Jensen manages to dig it out of his bag without much trouble. It’s a special healing salve, and vitally, it’ll protect the wounds as they continue their travels. He explains this all to Jared as he gathers some up in his palm, generous with how much he’s using. “I know you’ll probably be fine without it, tough guy, but it’ll help.”

The both of them fall quiet while Jensen finishes up, carefully spreading the salve over the wounds and making sure to cover them, tip to tip. They already look a little better once he’s done, and he nods to himself, satisfied. It’s for his own benefit as much as Jared’s; he’d been scared for his partner during that attack, and there’s still a hint of guilt that lingers, knowing Jared ended up hurt. It’s soothing to be able to do something about it. “I think you’ll live.”

Jared huffs out a breath and starts to stand again, stretching out his body and unfurling his wings. It’s only late afternoon, and they’ve got a lot more distance to cover before nightfall, so Jensen takes the hint and moves in to climb back up onto Jared’s back.

Before he can manage that, though, Jared turns, and it’s his head that Jensen’s suddenly faced with, big eyes blinking at him. Jensen’s ready to ask what’s wrong when Jared nudges him, gently- his big snout just bumping against Jensen’s chest along with a little huff. There’s no mistaking the affection in the gesture, and Jensen isn’t quite ready for it, left struggling to respond as he rests his hands on warm, smooth scales.

“I, um- you’re welcome,” he manages after a moment, voice softer now. He smiles when Jared blinks at him again before slowly shifting, dropping one shoulder like he usually does to make it easier for Jensen to climb up. “Let’s get going, buddy.”

They’re off the ground not long after that, and Jared seems no worse for wear. Jensen’s left feeling warm as their journey continues, like maybe they’ve gotten a small step closer to wherever it’s going to take them.

He’s got a sneaking suspicion that it’ll be well worth the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3

**Author's Note:**

> In my defence, I didn't actually look up "fifth base" before writing this, because I foolishly assumed it was something that didn't exist. Oh, well.


End file.
